Paralleled
by BlueAqua
Summary: I always wondered why Agravaine was so set on killing Arthur and making Morgana queen. My take on the series  continued from season 4  if it was because he had children with magic. No excess fluff, no slash, lots of OCxMerlin, because he deserves it


I'm obsessed and I can't help but write about it if I'm obsessed with it. I just wrote this up yesterday (during a class) so I apologize for any spelling mistakes or convoluted sentences.

I own OCs but clearly certain characters do not belong to me. Y'all know.

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><p><strong>Paralleled<strong>

The day was fair. The sun had been hanging in the sky for at least six hours and as a result the air was comfortably warm. The way the sunlight hit the trees overhead made the woods glow a light green color, at least that's they way it looked from the forest floor. The earth was a mesh of fallen leaves, roots, dirt, and rocky hills but that all ended at the shoreline to the lake. It wasn't a large lake by any means, one could clearly see someone waving from the other shore. However this aspect of the lake was rarely used for the land surrounding the lake belonged to the Druid people, and they didn't wave.

Druids were a serious bunch who spent most of their time pouring over ancient texts and artifacts and meditating. The Druids were a reasonably sized group of people who had resigned themselves completely to the study of magic. They bore few children every few years, but a majority of their numbers were gifted youngsters brought in from across the lands. Most of these children were grateful for the chance to live within a fully magical community because to the outside world, magic was a feared and hated force.

However as grateful as some youths were for the sanctuary, others were too spirited for their own good.

At the small lake, Lake Drisden, as the Druids called it; a middle-aged man sat on the shore, his feet tucked under him and his hands resting on his thighs. He breathed deeply through his nose with his eyes closed, his mouth minutely forming the words he was thinking. His clothing was nothing special, being made of muted colors to help blend with the forest, and looked as if it they had been patched up several times.

A fallen tree branch rustled off to his left but he did not stir from his meditation. A small boy, no older than ten winters, crept closer to the lake's edge, hesitantly lingering by a tree's trunk. The boy's head was covered in spiky orange hair and his clear blue eyes stayed, transfixed, to the meditating man before him. Nearly silently, the boy slunk closer to the man, leaving the safety of the tree trunk. His body pulled in as he walked, ready to spring at a moments notice. And when he was just a foot away from the man he threw his arms up with a wicked look in his eye, jumping in the air and screaming "BOO!"

But the man didn't stir.

Surprised, the boy stood motionless, his hands still formed into claws above his head. Finally he spoke up, "Are you dead?" he inquired, lowering his arms and taking a slow step forward. "Merek?" he called, "M-Merek?"

"Borin," the boy jumped at the sound of the man's deep voice, "is there a reason why you always feel the need to disrupt my morning meditation?"

The boy, Borin, grinned wide, laughing at himself for being so easily scared, "It's not morning anymore Merek, it's noon," he reminded the man.

Slowly the man opened his eyes and peered up at the position of the sun, "Indeed it is," he said finally before fluidly rising to his feet. He sighed as Borin bounced up and down on the balls of his feet, "I suppose it would be too ignorant of me to assume that you were merely trying to let me know what time it was," he said dryly.

Borin bowed at the waist and held his arm out to indicate that Merek should take his leave from the lake, "You wound me Merek," he said dramatically, the wicked look returning to his eyes, unbeknownst to the middle aged man. Merek appraised Borin and the tiniest hint of a smile touched his lips, despite the boy's mischievous ways his charm was a genuine symptom of his good nature.

"I don't suppose Ayleth is nearby?" Merek asked, starting his journey back to the Druid camp.

Borin shook his head as he followed Merek, "No sir, Catrain was making her replicate text last I saw," he lied.

Merek smiled, "Ah, good news. I'm glad Ayleth is spending her time so wisely.

Abruptly, a figure dropped from the trees above, screaming like a banshee. Merek let out a yelp as he jumped back and crouched; ready to face whatever mysterious thing had fallen from above. But instead of being met by the haunting monsters he feared, two laughing children greeted him, one was Borin, and the other was a pleasantly plump young woman with dark red-brown hair. Both were practically rolling across the floor with laughter. Merek rose to a standing position, looking far less than amused.

"Borin."

The stillness in Merek's tone scared Borin and he sobered up relatively quickly.

"You lied to me," Merek continued, his voice possessing the essence of thunder.

"She _was _copying text when I left," Borin hastily argued, "But then she followed me…" he cringed slightly, hoping his excuse would hold up.

By now Ayleth, the young woman who had scared Merek by dropping from the trees, had risen to her feet and she stood patiently watching the two argue. The smile from her old prank still lingered on her face.

"Merek," she began suddenly, "You can't honestly be angry with Borin," she reasoned.

At her words Merek's anger visibly dissolved, "You two will be the death of me," he breathed.

The three made their way back to the Druid camp with Borin bouncing about. He climbed over unnecessary things at every opportunity with the kind of energy only children posses. Every other time Merek would call out to Borin to tell him that he shouldn't do what he was about to do and that he should learn to follow a path like a normal human, but each time that it seemed he would heed Merek, Ayleth would egg him on. Even though there was over a ten-year difference between Ayleth and Borin, they were thick as thieves and practically joined at the hip. The two were notorious for the mischief they caused, for they did it often.

Finally Borin fell. He misjudged the gap before him and he went tumbling to the floor with a large show of noise and flying leaves. Merek whirled on Borin who was clearly unharmed.

"Borin! Why can't you walk like normal person! Not everything in nature is put there for you to disturb and disrupt! Just walk normally!" with a huff Merek turned back around and stormed off without them. Borin sat still in the pile of leaves he'd landed in; he stared after Merek with a wounded look on his face.

Luckily for him, Ayleth had found the whole ordeal to be a bit humorous, and she laughed good-naturedly as she offered her young friend a hand, "You're alright," she assured him, "and don't worry, we know where he's headed so he cannot escape us."

Borin smiled at Ayleth's words and hugged her waist. Ayleth slung her arm over Borin's shoulders and they walked the rest of the way like that. However, Ayleth's good mood, which she'd been in all day, did not last long.

When the duo reached the camp, a deep cave with a low-lying ceiling and crevices running along the floor in treacherous paths, Merek had already arrived. He stood with an older woman, Catrain, as she held up a scroll. The look on both of their faces caused a certain stillness around them that had everyone watching. The scroll bore the mark of the Druids, which was unusual to see. They were a group of people who were used to lying low, written messages were not a luxury they necessarily allowed themselves.

Finally Merek looked up, his gaze scanned the crowd the scroll had brought, and he smiled, "King of Arthur of Camelot has revoked his father's warrant of the Druid people. He has opened his gates to allow for a small number of Druids to attend a feast, as a show of good will."

A soft murmur went through the crowd and more people appeared, their interest peaked by the news.

"It must be a trap!" someone shouted.

Merek shook his head, "No, Robin, this is exactly what we have been waiting for." Merek took in a steady breath and looked towards the sky, "The time of peace has begun." A few cheers were exclaimed but since it was not in the Druid culture to be boisterous, this news was mainly met by approving nods and a bit of clapping.

The crowd began to disperse after seeing that Merek had nothing more to tell them but he caught Ayleth as she and Borin tried to walk to past. "Ayleth, may we speak to you," he whispered, handing the scroll off to Catrain.

"What's wrong?" Bolin asked in concern.

"This is a private matter involving Ayleth," Merek answered kindly, offering a hand to Ayleth to lead her away. Bolin exchanged a look with Ayleth who nodded to tell him it was alright, and hesitantly, he detangled himself from Ayleth.

Catrain and Merek led Ayleth outside the cave and over to a smooth rock where they told her to sit.

"You're both scaring me," she said quietly, taking her seat.

"Ayleth," Merek began, "your father was… somewhere in the battle when King Arthur took back Camelot, your father was…. killed."

Ayleth felt like she couldn't breathe, "What?"

"Lord Agravaine was... killed at some point during the power struggle," Merek repeated as gently as could.

Ayleth stared off at something that wasn't there, she suddenly felt very cold and she shivered in her tunic, rubbing her arms numbly. "How?"

"We do not know the specifics, but the Druid encampment in Camelot thinks his body may be in the city."

Ayleth rose from her seat, "I must go there then."

Merek nodded and Catrain spoke up, "The Druids in Camelot have extended an invitation for you to join them in the city for the feast."

Ayleth nodded, her gaze still bleakly staring off into the distance, "When do they leave?"

"In two days. You will have to leave at once," Catrain answered.

"I'll say goodbye to Bolin."

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><p>If you have any feedback whatsoever (it sucked; you're a terrible writer; your story lit up my life; i cried tears of joy at the sheer awesomeness, etc.) PLEASE i would love to hear it.<p>

seriously.

BlueAqua ^_^


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